Filter media packs, methods of making, and ultrasonic cutting or welding
The present disclosure is directed toward assembly of pleat packs using a welder and an anvil that can push adjacent pleat panels together along a crease. Other aspects are directed to welding pocket pleats and welded pocket pleats formed thereby that are suitable for filter fluid and ultrasonically cutting and sealing seams into filter media using a welding assembly such as an ultrasonic sonotrode and an anvil.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/896,589 filed Feb. 14, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. PCT/US2016/047283, filed Aug. 17, 2016; this patent application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/206,100, filed Aug. 17, 2015; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/243,740, filed Oct. 20, 2015. This application is also a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/017952, filed Feb. 13, 2018; this patent application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/459,990 filed, Feb. 16, 2017. The entire teachings and disclosure of all of the provisional, PCT and non-provisional patent applications referenced above are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention generally relates to filters, and more particularly relates to methods and machinery for forming features such as embossments (that may define grooves), creases, graphics, or other features into filter media packs and such filter media packs formed thereby.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA variety of filter packs are known in the prior art, for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,217 to Palmer; U.S. Pat. No. 7,122,068 to Tate et al.; U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0151383 to Choi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,290 to Barrington. Each of the aforementioned patents and publications generally relate to pleated filter media elements.
There is also other filter media packs such as fluted media packs described and shown for example in U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0260139 entitled Rectangular Stacked Fluted Filter Cartridge to Merritt; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,851 entitled Filter Element to Brown et al.
Generally, the process for processing the filter media to be used in such filter media packs employed by the above examples requires the use of rolls that have projecting features that rotate around a central axis in order to form embossments or other features into the filter media pack such as shown for example in Choi, U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0151383 entitled Pleated Corrugated Media and Method of Making. The advantage of the roll forming process is the ability for continuous processing in that the rolls rotate and operate continuously on a continuous filter media sheet that is unwound from a filter media roll in a typical process.
Various aspects of the present invention are directed towards improvements in the methods of making such features on media packs, improved media pack structures, and/or improved pleated embossed media packs as will be understood from the disclosure below.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONVarious aspects are provided that may be used alone or in combination with each other in various embodiments such as those aspects below in this summary section.
In one aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet. The method comprising pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels and welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including advancing the filter media sheet along a travel path and said pleating comprising creasing the filter media sheet at spaced intervals in order to form the pleat panels with a plurality of pleat tips in the pleated filter media pack by extending the creasing in a direction that extends perpendicularly to the travel path.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a the method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including after the pleating and welding, overlaying the pocket pleats upon each other to form the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the pleated filter media pack includes a plurality of upstream pleat tips at an upstream face and a plurality of downstream pleat tips at a downstream face. The pleat panels extend between the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips. Each of the pleat panels extend transversely between first and second opposed side edges of the pleat panels. Welding is performed that integrally bonds the first and second opposed side edges at spaced apart locations.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including bonding together the adjacent pleat panels at locations between the first and second opposed side edges.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where welding is conducted on at least one of the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips at spaced apart locations along at least one of the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the filter media sheet comprises at least 10% polymer fibers by weight to facilitate welding.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the polymer fibers comprise at least one of a polypropylene and polyester.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including welding with a linearly reciprocating press. The linearly reciprocating press includes an anvil and a weld tool. The method further includes supplying thermal energy between the anvil and the weld tool from a thermal energy device to facilitate the welding.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet by ultrasonically welding with an ultrasonic press that forms the pocket pleats therebetween. The ultrasonic press includes an anvil and a sonotrode, with a rib projection being provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the rib projection is provided on the anvil and projects toward the sonotrode.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the rib projection is provided by a removable tool arranged on a plate of at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode. The method further includes removing the removable tool and rearranging the removable tool or replacing the removable tool with a second removable tool, and using the rearranged removable tool or the second removable tool to form different configurations of filter media packs.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including linearly reciprocating the anvil and the sonotrode relative to each other together and apart to ultrasonically weld seams in the filter media sheet.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes carrying the anvil on a first carriage mounted on a first linear slide and carrying the sonotrode on a second carriage mounted on a second linear slide. The method further includes linearly sliding each of the anvil and sonotrode independently, together and apart along a Z axis, to facilitate the welding of the seams and releasing of the pocket pleats to allow overlaying of the pocket pleats upon each other to form the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where linearly reciprocating of the anvil and sonotrode is conducted in a Z-axis. The method further includes moving a location of the rib projection along at least one axis perpendicular to the Z axis during formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the rib projection includes first and second parallel linear projection elements in spaced apart relation. The method further includes engaging the first and second opposed side edges of the pocket pleats with the first and second parallel linear projection elements.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including a linear slide assembly on which the first and second parallel linear projection elements are mounted. The method further includes adjusting a spacing between the first and second parallel linear projection elements by moving at least one of the first and second linear projections along the linear slide assembly during the formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet including a knife projection provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode. The knife projection is thinner than the rib projection and cuts through the adjacent pairs of pleat panels.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the knife projection is proximate to at least a portion of the rib projection and the knife projection cuts at least one seam that is ultrasonically welded simultaneously by the rib projection.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method for forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes intermittently and successively advancing and stopping the filter media sheet along a travel path. Then while the filter media sheet is stopped at least one of embossing and creasing is conducted. While the filter media sheet is advancing a leading portion is being folded along a crease.
In yet another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet. The method includes pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels. The method further includes cutting a plurality of seam edges into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels and bonding and sealing the adjacent pairs of the pleat panels along the seam edges sufficiently to prevent unfiltered fluid from passing through the seam edges in the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes advancing the filter media sheet along a travel path. The pleating includes creasing the filter media sheet at a plurality of spaced intervals in order to form the pleat panels to provide a plurality of pleat tips in the pleated filter media pack by extending the creasing in a direction that extends perpendicularly to the travel path. The method further includes ultrasonically cutting seam edges in an extension extending transversely relative to the travel path.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes forming a cutout region in the pleated filter media pack with the ultrasonically cut seam edges to form the filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the pleated filter media pack comprises a plurality of upstream pleat tips at an upstream face and a plurality of downstream pleat tips at a downstream face. The pleat panels extend between the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips where each of the pleat panels extend transversely between first and second opposed side edges. The method includes ultrasonically welding a plurality of integral bonds along the first and second opposed side edges to form a plurality of pocket pleats.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the pleated filter media pack comprises a plurality of upstream pleat tips at an upstream face and a plurality of downstream pleat tips at a downstream face with the pleat panels extending between the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips. Each of the pleat panels extend transversely between first and second opposed side edges of the pleat panels. The method includes ultrasonically welding the adjacent pair of the pleat panels together at locations between the first and second opposed side edges.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where an ultrasonic press comprises an anvil and a sonotrode. The method includes a knife projection and a rib projection that are provided between the anvil and the sonotrode to facilitate ultrasonically cutting of the seam edges.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the knife projection and correspondingly the seam edges are curved or non-linear.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the knife projection is provided by a removable tool arranged on a support member of at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode. The method further includes removing the removable tool and rearranging the removable tool or replacing the removable tool with a second removable tool. The rearranged removable tool or the second removable tool is used to form a different configuration of the filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes linearly reciprocating the anvil and the sonotrode together and apart to ultrasonically cut the seam edges.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes carrying the anvil on a first carriage mounted on a first linear slide. The method further includes carrying the sonotrode on a second carriage mounted on a second linear slide and linearly sliding each of the anvil and sonotrode together and apart along a Z axis to facilitate the ultrasonically cutting of the seam edges.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes moving a location of the knife projection along at least one axis perpendicular to the Z-axis during the formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where a rib projection is provided adjacent the knife projection. The knife projection is thinner than the rib projection and proximate to the rib projection. The method further includes ultrasonically cutting the seam edges while simultaneously ultrasonically welding the cut seam edges to form pocket pleats.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes intermittently and successively advancing and stopping the filter media sheet along a travel path. When the filter media sheet is stopped at least one of embossing and creasing is conducted. While the filter media sheet is advancing a leading portion of the filter media sheet is being folded along a crease.
In yet another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack. The pleated filter media pack includes a filter media sheet that is folded to include a plurality of folds that provide a plurality of pleat panels extending between an inlet face and an outlet face of the pleated filter media pack. The folds extend between first and second opposed side edges of the pleated filter media pack. The filter media pack further includes an outer periphery in a surrounding relation that extends between the inlet face and the outlet face. A welded seam is formed along the first and second opposed side edges to form pocket pleats between adjacent pairs of pleat panels. The welded seam prevents unfiltered air flow from passing through the outer periphery and between the inlet and outlet faces.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a filter media pack where the welded seam includes a first weld seam segment along the first opposed side edge and a second weld seam segment along the second opposed side edge. The first and second weld seams extend non-parallel relative to each other.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a filter media pack that includes a plurality of cut seam edges on a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels extending transverse to the inlet and outlet faces and transverse relative to the first and second opposed side edges. The cut seam edges form a recess region. The adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are integrally welded together at the cut seam edges to prevent unfiltered fluid flow therethrough.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a filter media pack where at least one panel of each of the adjacent pairs of the pleat panels has a plurality of embossments formed therein. The embossments space the pleat panels by between 2 millimeters and 8 millimeter and the pleat panels extend at least 10 centimeters between the folds.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a filter media pack where the welded seam comprises a first weld seam segment along the first opposed side edge and a second weld seam segment along the second opposed side edge. The first and second weld seam segments extend parallel with each other.
In yet another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack. The pleated filter media pack includes a filter media sheet that includes a plurality of folds that provide a plurality of pleat panels extending between an inlet face of the pleated filter media pack and an outlet face of the pleated filter media pack. The folds extend between first and second opposed side edges of the pleated filter media pack. The filter media pack includes an outer periphery in surrounding relation that extends from the inlet face to the outlet face. The pleated filter media pack further includes a plurality of cut seam edges on a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels that extend transverse to the inlet and outlet end faces, and transverse relative to the first and second opposed side edges. The adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are integrally welded together at the cut seam edges to prevent unfiltered fluid flow therethrough.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where the cut seam edges form a recess region defined in the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where the recess region is defined into one of the inlet and outlet faces.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where the cut seam edges are curved.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where the adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are bonded together at the first and second opposed side edges to provide a plurality of pocket pleats.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where at least one panel of each of the adjacent pairs of the pleat panels comprises a plurality of embossments formed therein. The embossments space the pleat panels by between 2 millimeters and 8 millimeter and the pleat panels extend at least 10 centimeters between the folds.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a pleated filter media pack where the pleated filter media pack comprises an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In yet another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet. The method comprises creasing the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels and arranging a crease created by the creasing between a weld tool and an anvil. The method further includes assembling an adjacent pair of the pleat panels by reciprocating the weld tool and the anvil together and apart relative to each other. The method optionally includes welding the adjacent pair of the pleat panels at a weld location while the weld tool and anvil are together.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the reciprocating between the weld tool and the anvil comprises facilitating relative linear reciprocating movement between the anvil and the weld tool along a linear slide assembly.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that further includes driving at least one of the weld tool and the anvil with a servomotor or a stepper motor.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where a first servomotor linearly reciprocates the anvil and a second servomotor linearly reciprocates the weld tool.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the weld tool is a sonotrode. The method further including emitting a vibration frequency of at least 15,000 hertz along the sonotrode to weld the pleat panels.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where one of the anvil and the weld tool is part of a pick member and the other one of the anvil and the weld tool is part of a stop member. The assembling operation includes holding the filter media sheet with the pick member and advancing the filter media sheet during the holding toward the stop member. This pulls a trailing portion of the filter media sheet with the pick member and pushes a leading portion of the filter media sheet with the pick member (the leading portion comprising the adjacent pair of the pleat panels). The assembling operation further includes folding the leading portion of the filter media sheet along the crease by driving the pick member and the stop member together.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes releasing the assembled adjacent pair of the pleat panels from between the weld tool and the anvil and overlaying the assembled adjacent pair of the pleat panels onto a partly formed portion of the pleated filter media pack to form a pleated segment of the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the releasing operation comprises driving the stop member away from the pick member to open a region for the assembled adjacent pair of the pleat panels. Further, the method comprises gravitationally dropping the assembled adjacent pair of the pleat panels through the region onto the partly formed portion of the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the anvil is part of the pick member. The method further includes driving the anvil and the pick member up to release the filter media sheet in a release state and driving the anvil and the pick member down to hold the filter media sheet in a hold state. The method also includes advancing the pick member in the hold state, and after advancing the pick member in the hold state, releasing the filter media sheet to achieve the release state and then retracting the pick member to a start position.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes pushing the crease vertically upward during the assembling to facilitate folding of the pleat panels.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes cutting first and second edges into the adjacent pair of the pleat panels where the first and second edges are extending obliquely relative to the crease for creating an irregular shape to the pleated filter media pack. The method further includes welding the first and second edges to form a welded seam.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the cutting and the welding are conducted simultaneously while the weld tool and anvil are together.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where cutting is conducted separately after creasing but before assembling.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where cutting is conducted separately before creasing.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes welding a plurality of seams into the adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats. The pleated filter media pack comprises a plurality of upstream pleat tips at an upstream face and a plurality of downstream pleat tips at a downstream face with the pleat panels extending between the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips. Each of the pleat panels extend transversely between first and second opposed side edges of the pleat panels. Welding integrally bonds the first and second opposed side edges in spaced apart weld locations.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the filter media sheet comprises at least 10% polymer fibers by weight to facilitate welding and the polymer fibers comprise at least one of a polypropylene and polyester.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where an ultrasonic press is used to ultrasonically weld the plurality of pocket pleats. The ultrasonic press comprises the anvil and the weld tool is a sonotrode. A rib projection is provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the rib projection is provided by a removable tool arranged on a support member of at least one the anvil and the sonotrode. The method further includes rearranging the removable tool or replacing the removable tool with a second removable tool. The rearranged removable tool or the second removable tool can be used for forming different configurations of the filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet in which the method includes carrying the anvil on an anvil carriage mounted on a first linear slide and carrying the sonotrode on a sonotrode carriage mounted on a second linear slide. The method also includes linearly sliding each of the anvil and sonotrode together and apart independently along a Z-axis via the anvil carriage and the sonotrode carriage, respectively, to facilitate the welding. The pocket pleats are then released in order to allow overlaying of the pocket pleats upon each other to form the pleated filter media pack.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet where the anvil and sonotrode are reciprocated relative to each other along a Z-axis. The method further includes moving a location of the rib projection along at least one axis perpendicular to the Z axis during formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides a method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet that includes a linear slide assembly on which first and second parallel linear projections are mounted. The method further includes adjusting spacing between the first and second parallel linear projections by moving at least one of the first and second parallel linear projections along the linear slide assembly during the formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
In yet another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling a filter media pack. The apparatus for assembling the filter media pack comprises a filter media supply station adapted to contain a filter media and a filter processing station downstream of the filter media supply station to receive the filter media. The filter processing station comprising a media forming tool adapted to form a feature into the filter media. The apparatus further includes an ultrasonic press station downstream of the filter processing station that includes an anvil and a sonotrode. A Z-axis actuator is arranged to act upon at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode to linearly reciprocate the anvil and the sonotrode together and apart along a Z-axis.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack that includes a Z-axis linear slide assembly operably connected to at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode to guide the relative linear reciprocating movement between the anvil and the sonotrode.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack where the Z-axis linear slide assembly includes a linear guide and an anvil carriage that carries the anvil. The anvil carriage is linearly movable on the linear guide.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack that includes a sonotrode carriage slidably mounted on the linear guide. The sonotrode carriage carries the sonotrode. The apparatus further includes first and second linear actuators that act independently upon the anvil carriage and sonotrode carriage, respectively.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack that includes a Y-axis linear slide assembly carrying the anvil on the anvil carriage. The anvil is linearly movable in a Y-axis relative to the anvil carriage. The Y-axis is perpendicular to the Z-axis. A Y-axis actuator acts upon the anvil and is operable to move the anvil linearly along Y-axis linear slide assembly.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack including a media support. The media support includes at least one of a table and a conveyor. Further provided is an anvil carriage carrying an anvil over a range of movement over the media support in the Z-axis. The media support defines an opening region between the anvil and the sonotrode for allowing the filter media to release from between the sonotrode and the anvil. Further, at least one of the anvil carriage and the anvil comprises a gripper arranged above the media support. The gripper is operable to hold the filter media during movement along the Z-axis. A Y-axis actuator operable to move the gripper along the Y-axis.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack where the gripper is operable in a hold state to pinch the filter media against the media support during movement along the Z-axis, and operable to release the filter media from the media support in a release state. The gripper is movable between the hold state and the release state via the Y-axis actuator.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack including an X-axis linear slide assembly carried by the anvil carriage and carrying an anvil tool. The anvil tool includes at least one projection including at least one of a rib projection for welding seams in the filter media and a knife projection for cutting cuts into the filter media. The anvil tool faces the sonotrode, where the X-axis is perpendicular to the Z-axis.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack where the X-axis is transverse to a Y-axis. Further the Y axis may extend vertically and perpendicular to the Z-axis, with the anvil tool being movable in the Y-axis.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack in which the X-axis movement of the anvil is perpendicular to the Y-axis movement of the anvil.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack that includes at least one of a stepper motor and a servomotor acting upon the anvil tool and operable to drive the anvil tool in increments along the X-axis linear slide assembly.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack where the anvil tool includes first and second independent tool elements. The first and second independent tool elements are separately movable along the X-axis linear slide assembly.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media pack where the sonotrode includes an ultrasonic emitter having an operating state emitting a high frequency movement of at least 15,000 kilohertz to a sonotrode plate.
In another aspect, an embodiment provides an apparatus for assembling the filter media where the sonotrode plate is flat without a projecting tooling.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONA. The Disclosure of PCT/US2016/047283 Filed Aug. 17, 2016, Entitled “Filter Media Packs, Methods of Making and Filter Media Presses”
Turning to
The machine assembly line extends generally between an upstream region that includes a media unwind station 22 where the filter media roll 14 is placed to allow media to unwind and that is periodically replaced when the media roll is exhausted thereby temporarily shutting down the line, toward a downstream region where a pleater such as media pack collector 24 is located. The media pack collector 24 includes a trap door 26 to allow a produced filter media pack 16 to ride on the pack shoot 20 to the conveyer 18.
In accordance with certain inventive aspects according to certain claims, the machine assembly line 10 includes between upstream and downstream regions a press 28 that comprises a cooperating pair of stamping dies that include an upper stamping die 30 and a lower stamping die 32. The press 28 further includes a ram 34 that drives the stamping dies 30 and 32 repeatedly into and out of engagement with each other during operation. As can be seen in the enhanced circle image, the stamping dies comprise mating female and male embossment features 36 that are adapted to form embossments 38 into the filter media sheet 12 as also illustrated by enlarged circle views.
The machine assembly line 10 further includes a media conveying mechanism such as a conveyor such as cooperating rolls 40 that serve to advance the filter media sheet 12 in a direction from the unwind station 22 region toward the region of the pleat collector 24. These cooperating rolls 40 may be located at multiple locations along the machine assembly line but in this instance is shown located between the press 28 and the pleat collector 24.
It should be noted that the cooperating rolls 40 do not deform or form the filter media in an embodiment, but instead will serve to grip the filter media and move the filter media along a path 42 leading to the media pack collector 24.
The cooperating rolls 40 may also be chilled to effectively cool the embossed filter media sheet after it has passed through the press 28. In this regard, stamping dies may also be heated and are preferably heated to an elevated temperature as described herein such that during a dwell time of the stamping dies the filter media is heat-pressed to set and heat-press the embossments 38 into the filter media sheet 12.
Additionally, or in the alternative, an optional oven or heater 44 may be arranged upstream of the press 28 to preheat the filter media sheet 12 and therefore make it more pliable for processing through the press 28.
In an embodiment, the press may include a support table 46 upon which the lower stamping die 32 is removably mounted and fixed. The lower stamping die 32 may thus be non-movable during operation.
Further, the ram 34 may include a hydraulic or electrical linear actuator 48 that drives shaft 50 in successive and repeated linear reciprocating movement. Shaft 50 at its end supports and carries the upper stamping die 30 which is driven linearly back and forth in close proximity to the lower stamping die 32 with the filter media sheet 12 trapped and pressed therebetween.
The linear actuator 48 may be supported via a support cage 52 that may be self-supported or supported more preferably by the table 46 to maintain the alignment between the upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32 so that the respective male and female embossment features 36 in the stamping dies meet in cooperating and receiving fashion into each other.
The press and its linear actuator 48 and the cooperating advance rolls 40 may be manually activated in an intermittent fashion whereby during the pressing operating the filter media sheet 12 is not advancing along the predetermined path 42 but is maintained stationary and when the press and its stamping dies 30 and 32 are released with a large clearance gap therebetween, then the cooperating advance rolls 40 may be driven to advance the sheet to the next embossing location.
More preferably, this is automated and done with a suitable control such as an electronic controller that may be a software programmed computer and/or a programmable logic controller. Controller 54 is shown to be connected to the cooperating rolls 40 as well as the linear actuator 48 to automate this intermittent activity such that the press is driven into engagement heat pressing the filter media sheet 12 while the cooperating advance rolls 40 are not in driving engagement. Further, the controller 54 maintains the released and separated position of the upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32 while the cooperating rolls 40 are being driven. The controller 54 alternates between these two states. Further, the controller 54 will advance the filter media sheet a predetermined distance each time and may be programmed or selected to provide regular intervals that may be equal intervals or alternatively variable distance intervals for the various embodiments of filter media packs described herein.
The controller 54 may also coordinate and actuate an optional robotic part placer 56 that may be arranged along the line, preferably upstream of the press 28 to locate and place tabs as herein described in certain embodiments with or without adhesive onto the filter media sheet 12 that may then be run through the press 28 and also pressed into engagement for further securement. Such tabs are optional features used in some of the embodiments disclosed herein such as in those embodiments of
The press and upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32 include upper and lower emboss plates 58, 62 and may also include both at upstream and downstream ends upper score bars 62 and lower score bars 64. The score bars and the upper and lower emboss plates may provide for plate assemblies. The upper and lower score bars 62, 64 are preferably provided to also simultaneously press scores and thereby crease the filter media sheet 12 both upstream and downstream from the embossments 38 in the filter media sheet to form upstream and downstream scores 66, 68 that afford the opportunity to provide creases that serve to facilitate folding of the filter media. Folding at the creases provides the pleated filter media pack 16 with embossed pleat panels 70 that have been pressed and unembossed pleat panels such as flat pleat panel 72 that may not have been pressed and preferably are not pressed. As can generally be seen, the process forms a continuous sheet of alternating embossed pleat panels 70 and flat pleat panels 72 that are joined to each other through upstream and downstream scores 66 and 68 as indicated.
When the desired length of filter media sheet 12 has been generated and passed through the machine assembly line 10 it may be manually cut or more preferably cut via an automatic pack cutting knife 74 that may be also in communication with the controller 54 to cut at appropriate times relative to the advancing cooperating rolls 40 that advance the filter media sheet along the predetermined path 42. Once the controller 54 has driven the cooperating rolls 40 a predetermined distance corresponding to the desired length of filter media sheet 12 usable for the pleat filter media pack 16, the pack cutting knife 74 may be actuated to cut through transversely and preferably perpendicularly to the travel path 42 to cut the sheet to length for each of the filter media packs 16. Preferably this is also done during intermittent stoppage but may also be operated on a continuous basis in which the knife could move at an angle other than perpendicular to the path 12 to move at the same speed in the direction of the path during cutting.
Another optional feature that may be used in issues to make certain filter media pack embodiments is a trim knife 76 that may be used to trim one or both of the side edges 78, 80 of the media as schematically indicated in
Trim knives 76 may be provided on opposing opposite sides or proximate the side edges 78, 80 on opposite sides of the filter media sheet 12 to perform these operations. The trim knife 76 may be operated while the mechanized media advance roll 40 is operating or alternatively may cut and perform a trimming operation in a mechanized fashion while the filter media sheet 12 is stopped and during pressing operation of the stamping dies 30, 32 when they are engaged. Greater precision and control of knife 76 can be realized during stoppage.
Additionally, another further optional and desired feature is the ability to have adhesive applicators 82 that may also be in electrical communication with the electronic controller 54 to dispense adhesive such as hot melt, urethane, glue or other such suitable adhesive upon the filter media sheet 12 at desired locations. The adhesive applicator 82 may thus dispense adhesive only while the rolls 40 are advancing the filter media sheet 12 but advantageously can also be operated during the intermittent stopping to apply adhesive while the filter media sheet is stopped such as applying across the filter media sheet if additional stitch feeds are desired. The adhesive 82 may also be applied at different locations and there may be more than one adhesive applicator 82 such as on opposed side edges 78, 82 that may apply adhesive on opposed side edges 78, 80 of the filter media sheet 12 in order to seam the side edges and form pocket pleats. For example, the adhesive applied by the adhesive applicator 82 upon the edges of filter media sheet 12 may seam together and form a sealed seam on opposed side edges to in effect form a pocket pleat such as can be seen for example in the embodiment of
Additionally, or in the alternative, the adhesive applicator 82 may also apply adhesive at select locations such as shown in
Downstream of the press and optional bonding, various forms of pleaters may be used including pleat collectors that simply fold the filter media pack.
One form of pleat collector as illustrated is in the form of an ultrasonic plunge welder 84 that works in conjunction with an ultrasonic anvil 86 that are configured with ultrasonic horn features that mate and contact with each other to ultrasonically bond and weld adjacent portions of the filter media sheet together. The plunge welder 84 and the anvil 86 may be driven towards and away from each other with adjacent pleat panels 70, 72 therebetween. The plunge welder 84 and anvil may also be used to form bonds at seams and/or form point bonds through ultrasonic welding and/or thereby form the features such as pocket pleats as shown in
The movement of the plunge welder and the anvil may also be coordinated relative to the action of the cooperating rolls 40 and may be active during intermittent stoppage and can also be operated during advancement of the filter media sheet along the path 42. The plunge welder 84 may include suction and a vacuum on its face in order to pick up and temporarily secure the pleat panel to itself and facilitates folding of the filter media sheet along the upstream and downstream scores 66, 68 that are created by the corresponding score features of the upper and lower score bars 62, 64.
Yet another optional feature that may be employed is the ability to use a laminate sheet 88 such as an additional filter media sheet, a scrim, a support, a screen such as expanded metal for support or other such laminate feature which may be desired to be employed. In some embodiments it may be desired to have two layers of filter media sheet to provide for a first level of filtration to capture larger particles and thereby a less efficient upstream surface to the filter media sheet and a more efficient downstream layer to the filter media. Accordingly, a laminate sheet 88 may be dispensed from laminate roll 90 to overlay either above or below filter media sheet 12 and also run through the similar components including the press 28 of the machine assembly line 10. Accordingly, with this configuration the laminate sheet 88 would also be pressed with the same embossment features and embossment 38 as in the filter media sheet 12.
Turning now to
The embossments 38 take the form of projecting ridges 182, when viewed from one side such as top side in the case shown in
Typically, the embossments 38 extend a full length of the embossed pleat panel 70 and between adjacent but spaced flat plate panels 72 as shown in
In the elevation indicated in
Further, the ends of the embossed regions as shown in
To help facilitate the formation of the tapered ends 192, the embossing features 36 shown on the stamping dies may also have corresponding tapered end sections as shown for example in the embodiment of the emboss plates of
To recap and provide additional further details on the operation of the assembly line and the method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, it can be seen with reference to
An additional view of such a filter media pack for example is shown in
When done in this fashion, where the intervals are uniformly spaced and with the pleat (e.g. pleat panels) extending between the pleat tips at the respective inlet and outlet faces, the distance between the pleat tips at the inlet face and the pleat tips at the outlet face may remain constant and thereby form a cuboid shape for the filter media pack 16 shown in
However, with the pressing methodology it can also be accomplished to form the intervals at non-uniform spacing wherein the pleats extend between pleat tips at the inlet face and pleat tips at the outlet face with a distance bearing and creating pleated filter media packs that are irregularly shaped with a region of the inlet face and the outlet face extending obliquely relative to the extent of the pleat panels 70, 72 such as shown in the similar but alternative embodiment of
In both embodiments of
In a preferred operation of the machine assembly line 10 of
An advantage of this intermittent advancing and stopping operation is that further operations can be conducted either upstream or downstream of the pressing dies. While the filter media sheet is stopped, other processing steps and their control are easier and more precise as such operations do not need to be moved at the same speed as the filter media sheet but may be kept in a stationary position without needing coordination with the speed of the filter media sheet. For example, during stoppage bonding of adjacent pleats formed by pleating can be conducted such as by the plunge welder 84 and anvil 86.
Additionally, or alternatively, during such stoppage of the filter media sheet, the edges of adjacent pleats may be trimmed to include one or both of side edges 78 and 80.
Additionally, the pleat tips for at least one of the inlet and outlet faces may be cinched and/or pressed together such as like by ultrasonic bonding that may also be performed by the plunge welder and anvil 84, 86 with such features being shown for example in the pleated filter media pack shown in
Preferably, and for the most simplistic type of operation, the upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32 including their respective plates are movable toward and away from each other with linearly reciprocating movement of the plates with the respective female and male embossment features received into each other with the filter media sheet therebetween. With this configuration, the respective plates 58, 60 extend in parallel planes.
An advantage to using the linearly extending grooves and the linearly extending ribs to provide for the male and female embossment features as shown in the emboss plates of
The embossments also provide in effect a corrugation pattern that prevents the filter media sheet from bending in at least one dimension providing for additional strength and support for the pleated filter media pack. Thus, by extending the embossments over the full length such as at least 90% of the length, good structural integrity of the pleated pack is realized. This is particularly advantageous for deep pleat filter media packs that have a pleat depth (e.g. span between inlet and outlet faces) of greater than 6 cm and pleat packs that may be greater than 10 cm or even 20 cm or more. Pleat packs may be formed that have a pleat depth between 1 cm and 180 cm, but again this is particularly advantageous for the deep pleat media packs aforementioned.
Also, during a preferred operation, the filter media sheet 12 is engaged and actively pressed with force between the upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32 wherein the stamping dies can be separated in the engaged and pressing position by a gap equivalent to but more preferably slightly less than a caliper thickness of the filter media sheet that may be a gap of between 80- and 99% of the caliper thickness of the filter media sheet. This gap can be controlled with stop abutments on the plates of by way of the amount of pressure applied to the presses in which the media content of the filter media sheet limits the pressing.
During pressing, a significant dwell time may occur that is between 0.2- and 300 seconds and preferably between 1- and 15 seconds to ensure adequate formation of the embossments and maintain the shape. This in effect presses and holds the media to press the features akin to an ironing operation.
Also, preferably, the tapered end portion in the form of tapered ends 192 are formed into opposed ends of the central portions of the embossments 38 such as shown in
To facilitate formation of the most advantageous grooves to provide for maximum filtration capacity, the corresponding grooves and ribs of the embossment features on the die 36 and the corresponding embossments 38 formed into the sheet press embossments have a length greater than 5 cm with a width of at least 2 mm and a depth of at least 2 mm. These measurements are shown in
Preferably, the embossments (and corresponding ridges and/or grooves) have a depth of between 2 mm and 8 mm, and a width of between 2- and 16 mm. The length will depend upon the overall span or length of the filter media pack between upstream and downstream pleat tips, but typically comprises at least 90% of the length as described herein, although other alternatives are possible.
Additionally, to sufficiently set the pleats and maintain the embossed shape, heating of the filter media sheet for the pressing to a temperature below the glass transition point of the fibers of the media is conducted such that the fibers are not melted or bonded together due to the heating of the filter media sheet. For example, the heating comprises elevating the temperature of the filter media sheet to between 65- and 125° C. for medias that comprise at least 50% cellulose fibers by weight; between 65- and 205° C. for medias that comprise at least 50% fibers by weight including at least one of polypropylene, polyester or nylon fibers. These are typically the most commonly envisioned fibers employed in a filter media sheet, but additional types of fibers and materials may be used including glass fibers and a variety of other polymeric materials that are known to one of ordinary skill in the art and/or that are used in conventional filter media sheets. While the press is preferably heated and heats the filter media sheet and may be the sole source of heat, additional heating may be conducted such as preheating the filter media sheet prior to entering the stamping dies. Again, active cooling of the filter media sheet such as by the advance rolls or by running through a cooling station may be conducted after being pressed by the heated stamping dies.
Another advantage of using the press may be realized in certain embodiments, especially with the configuration of the width and depth of the embossments in that the filter media sheet can be stretched at the embossments to provide for an increased airflow permeability in the pressed region of the filter media sheet. These pressed regions and embossments may have the fibers pulled apart and not compressed according to certain embodiments. Specifically, it has been found that a filter media sheet can be stretched with the fibers slightly separated due to the pressing operation when compared to the unpressed filter media sheet or the unpressed flat panels that are formed between embossed panels.
For example, due to the stretching the pressed air flow permeability is at least 110% greater than the unpressed air flow permeability measured by a TAPPI T251 air flow permeability test. Preferably the pressed air flow permeability may be between 125- and 500% greater than the unpressed air flow permeability.
As a consequence, and when used in the embodiment where there are pressed regions and unpressed regions such as the embossed pleat panels 70 and the flat pleat panels 72, different filtering characteristic regions may be formed in the pleated filter media pack. The pressed region may comprise between 20- and 80% of the pleated filter media pack whereas the unpressed region may comprise the remainder of between 20- and 80%. This provides the opportunity to loosen up a more restrictive media and provide for a region that is slightly less efficient but more air permeable in the embossed pleat panels and a region in the flat pleat panels that are more restrictive to air flow but have a higher efficiency.
In terms of materials, the filter media sheet preferably comprises at least 10% polymer fibers by weight and more preferably at least 20% polymer fibers by weight and most preferably at least 50% polymer fibers by weight although other possibilities are possible.
The polymer fibers may comprise at least one of a fluorinated polymer, PVDF, polypropylene, polyester and nylon which are common materials used in filtration medias but again other materials are possible. The filter media sheet may also alternatively comprise at least one of the following media fibers: wet-laid microglass, nylon, polypropylene, polyester, wet-laid cellulose and wet-laid polymer. These fiber materials may be used alone or in conjunction with each other.
The filter media fibers include fibers having a diameter size of less than 100μ and preferably less than 50μ and most preferably less than 20μ in more efficient medias. These fiber materials may be used alone or in conjunction with each other.
For most typical filtration applications, the filter media sheet 12 prior to pressing has an air flow permeability of between 2 and 400 CFM for most filtration applications (including liquid filtration at the lower range end), and more preferably between 10 and 150 CFM for most air filtration applications (measured by ASTM D737-04(2012) standard, commonly tested with TEXTEST Model FX3300 instrument); and an initial gravimetric efficiency of between 50% and 100% for ISO 12103-1, A2 Fine Test Dust made by Powder Technologies having a location in Arden Hills, Minn. (measured by ISO 5011 standard), and a caliper thickness of between 0.2 and 7 millimeters, and more preferably between 0.2 and 1 millimeters.
Turning now to
The upstream and downstream ends 106, 108 preferably have a plurality of bolt holes 110 that allow for attachment of score bars as can be seen for example in
Longitudinal and extending holes extend between front and back sides 114, 116 and are indicated as heating channels 118 that can either receive a heating element or alternatively be hooked up to a fluid circuit to circulate hot fluid to facilitate heating of the emboss plate 58 to the desired temperature to facilitate heat pressing of the filter media sheet.
Further, pilot structures 120 may be provided that interact and align with corresponding pilot structure on the upper stamping die carriage 31 to facilitate better alignment and precise alignment of the upper emboss plate 58 relative to the lower emboss plate 60 of the lower stamping die 32 shown in
Turning then to
In
The upstream and downstream ends 136, 138 preferably have a plurality of bolt holes 140 that allow for attachment of score bars as can be seen for example in
Longitudinal and extending holes extend between front and back sides 144, 146 and are indicated as heating channels 148 that can either receive a heating element or alternatively be hooked up to a fluid circuit to circulate hot fluid to facilitate heating of the emboss plate 60 to the desired temperature to facilitate heat pressing of the filter media sheet.
Further, pilot structures 150 may be provided that interact and align with corresponding pilot structure on the table and fixture to facilitate better alignment and precise alignment of the upper emboss plate 58 relative to the lower emboss plate 60 as shown in
Turning to
In this regard, it should also be appreciated that the respective teeth and ridges 102, 132 and corresponding grooves 104, 134 of the upper and lower emboss plates 58, 60 when engaged do not contact each other, but instead there is a similar gap to gap 156 that can in some embodiments be formed due to the fact that the upper and lower emboss plates 50 and 60 have corresponding abutment surfaces 122, 124 both on front and back ends that run traverse and preferably perpendicular to the score bars that will contact each other before bottoming out occurs to ensure a gap that is of the desired width to accommodate the filter media sheet. Additionally, shims may be placed on either or both of the abutment surfaces 122, 124 and form the abutments to adjust the gap accordingly, to accommodate different filter media caliper thicknesses.
With continuing reference to
Further, a preferred configuration formed on the outside surface of the corresponding groove and projection includes tapering walls including tapering walls 166 formed on the grooved score bar member and tapering walls 168 formed on the ridged score bar member 160 that match and align with the tapering walls 166 such that a consistent gap 156 is maintained therebetween.
Additionally, within the groove and projection features, additional grooves and projections are provided. For example, the grooved score bar 158 also includes a central projection in the form of a triangular ridge 170 that is configured to form a corresponding score line to form a corresponding hinge in the filter media sheet for forming pleats. The triangular ridge is received within a corresponding triangular groove 172 that is formed within the projection 164 of the ridged score bar member 160. Additionally, on either side of the triangular ridge, a pair of triangular grooves 174 are provided that receive the corresponding pair of triangular ridge projections 176 from the other score bar member. These create additional flexibility if desired in the overall hinge structure of the filter media sheet when used to form a pleated filter media pack.
As can be seen, the grooved score bar members 158 are provided as attached to the lower emboss plate 60 of the downstream end with the ridged score bar member 160 attached to the upper emboss plate 58; while on the upstream end 106, 136 the grooved score bar members 158 are provided as attached to the upper emboss plate 58 with the ridged score bar members 160 connected to the lower emboss plate 60. By virtue of this configuration, the hinges are inverted one another when formed into the filter media sheet as will be seen with reference to
While the abutment surfaces 122 and 124 may stop and thereby provide a limit to a maximum amount of compression, the stop and abutment surfaces 122 and 124 may not come into contact with one another, but may actually be separated by a gap even when in the pressed and engaged position with the filter media sheet being pressed by the embossment features 36 of the respective upper and lower stamping dies 30, 32. In particular, rather than controlling the gap or thickness by contact with the abutment surfaces 122, 124, the ram 34 and its linear actuator 48 may have a predetermined or preset pressure to provide a predetermined pressure in pounds per square inch to the filter media sheet.
The filter media sheet typically does not extend over the abutment surfaces 122, 124 in a preferred embodiment, although other alternatives are possible, including having trimming knives that engage on the abutment surfaces. By using a controlled pressure, a desired amount of stretch may be imparted to facilitate stretching of fibers and increased air flow permeability to provide a filter element that may have an increased life span due to the increased air flow permeability. The reason is that filter expiration for lifespan is often determined by the restriction or pressure drop at predetermined air flow parameters. By opening the media through stretching and providing for increased air flow permeability, that will delay the point in which a filter reaches the restriction or pressure drop thereby extending the overall life of the filter and its lifespan.
Further, to form the filter media sheet having the width, depth and length dimensions shown in
Turning next to the emboss plates shown in
As can be seen in
Turning next to
The primary additional distinction and feature is that each embossment feature tapers from upstream and downstream ends with a widening V profile at the upstream or inlet face (as well as the outlet face) in the eventually formed media pack to allow for greater air flow into the filter media pack and thereby funnel airflow into the media pack. Specifically, it can be seen that groove sidewalls 224 taper from the upstream end to the downstream end as shown in
Turning next to the embodiment of
Referring to these figures, it can be seen that a tapering group profile and tapering tooth profile is provided for both of the emboss plates 228, 230. Specifically, it can be seen that the groove bottom and teeth tips 232, 234 each taper from one of the upstream and downstream ends to the other end of the emboss plate 228 which provides for tapering sidewalls 236 between upstream and downstream ends. As can be seen, the groove bottom and teeth tips may also be rounded in this design, but it can also be seen that the groove bottom width Wmin in this embodiment varies and widens from one end to the other and narrows from that end to the first, as depicted in
Turning next to
Yet a further embodiment of emboss plates 260, 262 are illustrated in
In this embodiment, a unique pattern of tapering grooves and corresponding tapering teeth 264, 266 are provided in emboss plate 260 with the depth of the tapering grooves and width of the tapering grooves both varying as the plate extends from one end to the other. It can be seen that a first set of tapering grooves narrow in width and depth from an upstream end to the downstream end, while a second set of tapering grooves narrow in depth and width from the downstream end to the upstream end. Further, the mating emboss plate 262 has tapering profiled teeth 268 that are adapted to be received in the tapering grooves 264 with narrow slit grooves 270 illustrated, for example, in
Turning next to
Turning first to
Turning to
Turning to
Turning then to resulting filter media packs that may be achieved through trimming attention will now be directed towards the additional embodiments of
Turning to
Both of these embodiments are made and created with similar methodology as such attention will be focused upon that the embodiment of
Preferably, the shape of the curved ridges, 314 and curved grooves 316 match the curvature of the curved sides 334, 336.
To create this filter media pack preferably the trim knife 76 is utilized to cut away regions of each emboss plate panel 324 and flat pleat panel 326 as indicated by dashed cut-away regions 338, 340 that each indicate the section of each panel that has been cut away to form the curved shape. Additionally, in order to form pocket pleats, adjacent pairs of embossed and flat pleat panels 324, 326 are seamed together and bonded together through adhesive and/or ultrasonic welding at curved seam 342, and curved seam 344 to avoid unfiltered air flow through these seams and to ensure that as fluid travels from one flow face to the other flow face that filtration occurs and no unfiltered air flow travels through the curved filter media pack 312. Additionally, the crease at the other flow face 320 is created by an end seam 346 to complete the pocket pleats 328 which is also performed by the ultrasonic tool (e.g. the plunge welder 84 and anvil 86 as shown in the machine assembly line 10 of
It can be seen with the embodiments shown in
It will also be appreciated that in this embodiment pocket pleats may not be necessitated but instead alternatively, the curved sides 334 and 336 may alternatively be formed with molded side panels to prevent leakage or seal off those side faces similar to as is done in the embodiment of a completed filter media pack with sealing system as indicated in
Turning to
Turning to
In this manner, the filter media pack 166 takes the form of a trapezoidal shape. Again the tapered sides may be sealed and over-molded if desired or pocket pleats can be formed by seaming adjacent pleat panels if desired.
In the embodiments of
Turning to
In this embodiment, the filter cartridge 382 employs a cuboid and rectangular filter media pack such as the filter media pack 16 created from assembly and line of the first embodiment of
A relatively hard material of polyurethane may be used for the side panels 384 to provide for additional support.
Additionally, the fabricated side panels 386 in the form of fiber board, plastic, metal or other rectangular shaped panels may optionally be attached in covering relation to the embossed pleat panels or flat pleat panels at the other two opposed sides that extend perpendicularly to the molded-in-place side panels 384. The prefabricated side panels 386 are embedded within during the integral molding of side panels 384 to encapsulate these and provide for sealing relationship. The prefabricated side panels 386 may be attached and sealed along their entire lateral span with suitable adhesive such as polyurethane to attach and seal the side panels 386 to the opposite sides of the media pack in a manner that prevents flow of unfiltered air flow from one flow face 198 to the other flow face 200.
Alternatively, panels 386 may also be molded like panels 384 and also formed of polyurethane or other molding material.
Additionally, filter media cartridge 36 is provided with a housing seal 388 that may be a prefabricated seal that is glued and sealed around the periphery of side panels 384 and 386 in a manner that prevents unfiltered air flow through the filter cartridge from the inlet face to the outlet face or that is molded and placed around the outer periphery of side panels 384 and 386.
For example, housing seal 388 may comprise elastomeric material such as polyurethane, nitrile, rubber or other such elastomeric material that is suitable for providing either an axial seal or radial seal with a housing.
In an embodiment, the housing seal 388 is made of a material that is softer and more elastomeric than the harder material of side panels 384 and the side panels 386 which may also be formed of elastomeric materials such as polyurethane.
In another embodiment, the housing seal 388 may be integrally formed at the same time and/or formed of the same durometer material as the molded side panels 384.
It is also understood that rather than providing separate side panels 384 and 386 that side panels 384 and 386 may instead be a prefabricated rectangular casing that has a rectangular opening and void for receiving the filter media pack 16 in which the filter media pack 16 would be adhesively attached and sealed around its periphery to such rectangular prefabricated housing. As such, side panels 384 and 386 may also be for example a prefabricated plastic or metal or paperboard or cardboard rectangular shell in the form of a casing that takes the same shape as that of the media pack and receives the media pack therein. Such a shell in the form of a casing may then also provide a structure for supporting a seal or providing for integral molding of a seal thereto to provide for the housing seal 388.
A wide variety of fluted filters, direct flow filters, panel filters and panel filter casings are known in the art, and the media packs of the embodiments herein can be used to replace those while using the same casings and sealing systems of those prior systems.
Turning to
Turning to
Turning to
As in many of the embodiments, the flow through the flow faces is generally transverse and typically or preferably perpendicular to the flow faces and thus is a straight through flow or direct flow through which in this case in the pleated filter media pack 418 of
Also as with the other embodiments, flow through the filter media pack between flow faces 434 is from one flow face towards the other flow face with the air flow having to pass through the filter media sheet such that unfiltered air flow between the flow basis 434 is not permitted. This may also be employed and used very similar to cuboid shapes but also allows for design variation for a variety of reasons.
Turning to
In this embodiment, each pleat panel 450 includes embossments including a first set of embossments 452 and second embossments 454 that together provide for an overall embossment feature that extends a full length between flow face 456 and flow face 458 wherein one of the flow faces is an inlet face and the other is an outlet face. The flow faces may be defined and provided by pleat tips 460, 462 as is the case with the other embodiments as well.
Additionally, it can be seen that the first embossments 452 differ from the second embossments 454 to provide for additional support, filtration or other functional features. In this case, the first embossments 452 extend from a first plane of the panel into an upstream face of the first panel and the second embossments 454 extend into a downstream face of the first panel 450. In other words, the first and second embossments 452, 454 project from opposite sides of the filter media sheet in this embodiment which provides an overall thicker embossed structure to the overall sheet. The embossments generally extend between the opposed pleat tips 460, 462 at the opposed flow faces 456, 458. This may also be used to form a cuboid and rectangular filter media pack such as the filter media pack 16 shown for example in
The other pleat panel joined to pleat panel 470 at the pleat tip shown at flow face 476 (and also would be joined at pleat tips that would be at flow face 472) include first and second sets of embossments 478, 480 that project from opposite sides of the plane of the filter media sheet. In the aggregate, the embossments 478, 480 in conjunction with the embossments 466, 468 provide an overall embossment structure that extends a full length of the filter media sheet between flow faces 472 and 474 to provide for bridge strength through a central region of the filter media pack 464. Embossments 466, 468 and embossments 478, 480 overlap with each other (that is they are at least adjacent to each other or that extend past each other in the middle region sufficient to provide for bridge strength) in the middle region.
Turning next to
In this embodiment, two separate tab structures are provided, although embodiments may include none or only one of the tabs.
One type of tab are the seal support tabs 482 that are bonded via mechanical or adhesive, pressing or other bonding attachment to flat pleat panels 472. Support tabs 482 project outwardly from opposed side edges 80, 78 of the filter media sheet to support a housing seal 484 that would extend in a continuous annular loop much like the annular rectangular housing seal shown for
The seal support portion 488 may include irregularities and not be planar to have seal bonding enhancement to prevent seal delamination.
For example, the seal support portion 488 may include holes through which the seal material of the housing seal 484 flows during formation. For example the housing seal may be molded from polyurethane that flows through the holes 490.
During formation of the housing seal 484 and when the seal material is yet uncured, and in a fluid state, the seal support portion 488 of the seal support tabs are embedded in the seal material of housing seal 484 as well as portions of the opposed side edges 78, 80 of the sheet and across the first and last end panels of the pack whether they be flat panels or embossed panels to complete and form an annular surrounding periphery of the pleated filter media pack.
It is preferred that the seal support tabs 482 are formed of a more rigid material than that of the filter media sheet 12 to provide for additional seal support and attachment. For example the tabs may comprise plastic, paperboard, or metal material.
While only one flat panel 72 is illustrated it will be understood that the various flat panels or alternating flat panels if desired and also if desired embossed panels 70 may also include and have the seal support tabs 482 attached thereto. Such that a variety of seal support tabs may extend in an array around the rectangular periphery of the media pack.
Additionally, a second type of tab is provided in the form of pleat support tabs 492 that include a first wing 494 and a second wing 496 connected by hinge 498. It can be seen that the hinge is positioned over the pleat tip 500 and serves to fasten and provide for additional support at the pleat tip regions where the embossments merge or diminish in size as they merge into the pleat tip. The wings 494, 496 are pivotal about the hinge 498 and are cinched and fastened together by a suitable fastener such as rivet 502 that may be pressed and snap-fitted into a hole 504 (or in alternative to snap fit, the other end of the rivet deformed to provide an enlarged head once pressed through hole 504).
It will be understood that in a finished pleated filter media pack, the pleat tip 500 and fold will be completed such that the corresponding flat pleat panel 72 and embossed pleat panel 70 will extend parallel with each other in the context of a filter made according to this arrangement and as such the wings 494 and 496 will also extend parallel to each other when the rivet 502 is snap-fitted or otherwise secured within hole 504.
It will also be understood that the pleat tips 500 at both upstream and downstream flow faces may be cinched together with pleat support tabs 492 even though
Turning to
In
It will be appreciated that such information such as the branding and some of the other embossment features shown herein may not readily be formed via circular rolls.
Further, press plates being planar are much less expensive than embossing rolls and thus using press plates provides for additional advantages over using rolls in embodiments. Many different press plates of different shapes sizes and configurations can inexpensively be made and interchangeably used in the various press assemblies and line embodiments discussed herein.
In the
As used herein, the term embossment is meant to be broad to generally include a structure that stands out in relief. Preferably the embossment will include and provide for grooves as discussed herein in the case of a filter media sheet which typically has a predetermined caliper thickness.
Turning to
In
In each of these embodiments, dashed lines are used to indicate that embossments being curved embossments 512 or linear embossments 514 can project not only from one side of the plane of the filter media sheet but also from the other side of the filter media sheet. Additionally or alternatively the dashed lines may also be understood in another embodiment to be a separate embossed sheet immediately behind the front embossed sheet in which the curved embossments of the two sheets nest with each other (project in gap regions between embossments) and the linear embossments nest with each other which can be the case as was shown for example in
Turning to
In this embodiment the filter media roll 14 and its filter media sheet 12 along with optional laminate sheet 88 coming from optional laminate roll 90 are driven in a travel pack 522 from an upstream region to a plate collector in the form of pleater 524 which is schematically illustrated. In this machine assembly line 520 the filter media sheet 12 may be continuously driven along the travel path by advance rolls 526 and not stop intermittently or stop at all during processing, that is until filter roll 14 is exhausted and stoppage is necessitated for change-out or break-down. This is accomplished by an endless loop 528 of a plurality of presses 530 that are rotated along the endless path of the loop 528. The presses 530 may be similar to the press 28 as described in conjunction with
It is noted that part of the loop 528 that extends over the travel path 522 when the presses 530 are engaged in actively pressing the media is linear and travels parallel and at the same speed as travel path 522. Further, while the presses 530 are disengaged in traveling around the curvature of the loop, they may be disengaged and heated. Inactive presses along the loop may also have plates switched out to provide branding or other lengths of embossments or other features.
Additionally, the media advance conveying mechanism in this embodiment may be the presses itself and it may not be necessary to have the advance rolls 526 in that the presses and being driven in the endless loop and in engagement with the filter media sheet itself can drive and convey the filter media sheet along the travel path.
Optionally, adhesive applicators to apply adhesive such as hot melt may be used and further, a trim knife such as a water jet, laser, shear knife or cross-cut knife or other such knife may be used to cut and shape and slit the media as may be desired. This may be done on a continuous basis.
Optionally, the tooling plates of the presses 422 are heated and have multiple heat zones and may be also heated while disengaged from the filter media sheet.
Turning to
The filter media roll 14 and its filter media sheet are driven along a travel path 552 that is linear and extends toward a pleat collector in form of pleater 550 that is schematically indicated at the downstream end with the pleat press carriages 546 and 548 therebetween. It will be understood that each pleat press carriage incorporates and carries a press that is similar to press 28 as described in the first embodiment to include the upper and lower stamping dies and the electronically controlled ram. However in this embodiment, the pleat press carriages reciprocate along a linear path on the linear slides forward and backward parallel to the travel path 552. In this instance, pleat press carriage and its press are actively engaging and pressing the filter media and thereby engaged with the filter media sheet as it is being travelled along the travel path. The pleat press carriage 546 is moved at the same speed as the filter media sheet 12 along the travel path 552. Additionally, it will be understood that pleat press carriage 546 may not just include one set of emboss and score plates but perhaps a series of several presses and corresponding upper and lower emboss plates along the line to press several pleat panel sections at the same time or in sequence.
While the press carriage 546 is engaged and actively pressing and advancing the media, the pleat press carriage 548 is disengaged and traveling in a reverse direction to be at a point where it can start pressing panels immediately behind the engaged pleat press carriage 546 that is traveling forward with the media sheet. Once the pleat press carriage 546 completes its pressing, it will disengage and also then travel backwards while at the same time or about the same time the pleat press carriage 548 that is disengaged will become engaged and start to press and then move along the travel path 552, at the same speed as the advancement of filter media sheet 12. In this embodiment, the press carriages themselves when engaged may drive the filter media sheet along the endless path and may do so in a continuous non-intermittent fashion thereby increasing production in capacity. This also may be outfitted with the various optional features of the prior embodiments discussed the machine assembly lines 10 or 520.
Yet a further embodiment of a machine assembly line 560 is illustrated in
In this embodiment the filter media sheet 12 coming off filter media roll is pressed by a different form of press having lobed nip presses that are driven vertically into and out of engagement via a ram provided by hydraulic or electrical linear actuators 564. The lobe nip presses include stamping dies that have at least one planar section 566 and thus are an emboss plate, and may have rounded edges or lobed sections 568 the lobed nip rollers may be driven by the linear actuators 564 to not only facilitate linear pressing but additionally, rotary actuators 570 may rotate the lobe nip presses 562 when not in a dwell press mode to advance the media and score the media in the radius lobed sections 568 that can define scoring features along the lobes. It is noted that in each stamping die the planar section may be embossed both above and below such that as it rotates the other press emboss plate is used on the other side of the stamping die.
In the progressive stamping die arrangement 574, the embossment features 576 are spread out among a plurality of progressive stamping dies 578 that extend transverse to the flow path of the filter media sheet along its travel path (see e.g. side edges 78, 80 of the filter media sheet 12). It is noted that in some embodiments, especially where the embossments are deep that stretching of the filter media sheet and the fibers may be realized to provide for increased air flow permeability however, if stretching is not desired and deep embossments are at the same time desired then the progressive stamping die may be used as it tends to gather and move in the filter media sheet progressively rather than stretching and may also be used to compress instead in an embodiment. Specifically, a first set of central stamping dies 580 are first driven into engagement which gather the filter media sheet and move outer portions 582 inward thus moving the opposed side edges 78, 80 inward slightly as the embossments and the corresponding groove features are being formed into the filter media sheet. After the central stamping die 580 is engaged the next outside guard stamping dies 584 are engaged which tend to draw and pull the outer portions 582 and the corresponding side edges 78, 80 inward even further again with little or no stretching and then the outermost stamping dies 586 are subsequently engaged to finish off formation of the embossments in the filter media sheet.
With the sequential engagement of the progressive stamping dies from the central stamping die outward to the guard stamping dies 584 then the outermost stamping dies 586 a progressive stamping of the filter media sheet is accomplished that does not necessarily have to stretch the filter media sheet and that may also be used to compress the filter media sheet if desired to reduce air flow permeability and/or increase efficiency of the filter media sheet.
Turning to
As shown the filter media pack 16 is shown to include point bonds 100 which may be at the pleat tips as shown in
Additionally, this embodiment shows that embossed pleat panel 70 may be seamed to adjacent flat pleat panels 72 in pairs to form pocket pleats 604 with three pocket pleats being illustrated in the embodiment of
It is additionally noted that the point bonds 600 will also prevent and limit relative movement between adjacent pleat panels to provide for structural support and prevent collapsing or blinding off of the filter media sheet when subjected to an application where substantial air flow is run through from the inlet face to the outlet face.
While not being limited thereto, certain examples and performance are described below. While the press can be used to process a variety of conventional filter medias that may include polymers, glass and/or cellulose as described above and thereby provide corresponding media packs with embossments and each can have advantages over conventional pleat packs, certain performance advantages can be obtained by use of medias that include polymer materials with the press. For examples, polypropylene media grade A2 and polyester media grade LFP 2.0 have been found to have sufficient to excellent processability with the press of
Using these medias and embossing as described above using the embodiment of
A substantial performance advantage above can be seen in that substantially less filtration media sheet in terms of area is necessitated while achieving a similar efficiency, restriction and dust holding capacity and performance. As such, substantially less filter media sheet may be required in some embodiments to achieve similar results and greater dust holding per square inch of media sheet was obtained. For example, the above demonstrates that filter media packs can be formed having an initial efficiency of at least 99%, and a dust holding capability of at least 0.15 grams of dust/inch2 of media, more typically at least 0.2 grams of dust/inch2 of media and in some embodiments at least 0.25 grams of dust/inch2 of media.
For the flat and embossed sheets tests above as in Table 1 (and for any patent claims appended hereto that recite an efficiency and/or dust holding capacity for sheet performance), the testing was and can be conducted with a Palas MFP 3000 test stand with the following conditions in Table 3:
For the filter pack volumetric performance testing such as the cuboid filter media pack performance and tests for Table 2 above (and for any patent claims appended hereto that recite an efficiency and/or dust holding capacity for pack performance), the testing is pursuant to ISO 5011:2014 (i.e. the ISO test standard for Inlet air cleaning equipment for internal combustion engines and compressors—Performance testing), utilizing ISO fine test dust, at an air flow of 500 CFM, and dust load/test termination at a pressure drop or restriction of 30 inches of water.
Additionally, while the above embodiments are described as useful with advantages for pleated filter media packs, it will be understood that the press and methods disclosed herein may be used with other types of media packs beside pleated such stacked fluted media panels as those described in the background section (e.g. such as in U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0260139 entitled Rectangular Stacked Fluted Filter Cartridge to Merritt) and as such certain broader claims (for example claims that do not explicitly require pleats or pleated) that are appended hereto are meant to encompass such possibilities.
Additionally, another embodiment of filter 700 is illustrated in
Preferably, the filter 700 further comprises a frame 708 over the filter media pack 702 and supporting the filter media pack 720, the frame including alphanumeric letter characters to form said brand, which in this case spells the brand name CLARCOR as seen in
The frame 708 may take the form of and thereby include a grate 707 forming the alphanumeric letter characters, with the grate 707 over one of the inlet face 704 or outlet face 706 of the filter media pack.
Preferably, the frame 708 also includes a surrounding sidewall 703 projecting from the grate 707 toward the outlet face or inlet face in surrounding relation of the filter media pack.
Typically, the filter media pack will comprise a plurality of filter media panels 711 having a depth projecting between the inlet face and the outlet face. The filter media panels 711 also have a width extending between opposed sides (see sides 710) of the filter. As can bet seen, the filter width between opposed sides 710 is variable and not constant. Further, the filter media panels 711 are in an array (one panel disposed over the next panel in a linear array in this instance) between opposed ends 712 of the filter. It is seen that the opposed sides 710 extend transversely and preferably perpendicularly between ends 712. To accommodate the shape variance of the branding, the filter media panels 711 have different widths between opposed sides to form at least part of a shape of the brand.
Additionally, it also may be that as shown that the adjacent the first and second ends 712, the filter media panels 711 are of different widths such that a span of the filter between opposed ends 712 varies as the ends 712 project from a first of the opposed sides 710 to a second of the opposed sides 710.
As is the case in earlier embodiments, the filter media panels 711 are pleated and form a pleated filter media pack with trimmed edges form the different widths between opposed sides, such as via use of the trimming tools shown in
Another aspect of this embodiment is that a filter frame providing brand identification. The frame 708 may be in the form of and may therefore include grate 707 disposed over the filter media pack having voids 715 to allow airflow and members 716 around the voids and in the form of at least one alphanumeric character to provide a brand that provides at least one of brand identification, flow direction, installation information, filter media parameters, and part number.
As per above, the span of the filter media pack is preferably variable and helps form the shape of at least one alphanumeric character.
Also preferably, a plurality of alphanumeric characters are provided (e.g. to spell CLARCOR) and a span of the filter media pack is trimmed to help form the shape of at least 2 of the alphanumeric characters.
Finally, while not shown, it is contemplated that a gasket or seal projecting from the outline of the frame at the inlet or outlet face may be provide and extend in cantilever fashion to form a radial or axial seal, or alternative a seal may be provide in surrounding relation of sidewall 703 and supported thereby to provide for an axial pinch gasket or a radial seal.
B. Additional Disclosure & Embodiments Pertaining to Filter Media Cutting, Welding & Ultrasonic Press Assembly
It is noted that the description above relating to
Attention will therefore now be directed toward further embodiments depicted in
First referring to
Referring to
Preferably, the sonotrode assembly 814 is stationary and/or otherwise acts as a stop member to serve as an abutment during this relative movement between the sonotrode assembly 814 and the anvil assembly 816. As shown schematically, only the anvil assembly 816 may move linearly during the advancement of the filter media sheet 812.
Optionally, and if desired, a crease assist device (not shown) such as an air blast device or a reciprocating vertical pin member that may be used to start the upward movement of the crease 810 between the sonotrode and the anvil assemblies 814, 816. However, if the filter media sheet 812 is supported on a suitable filter media support such as a table or a conveyor, the filter media only has one way to go during advancing movement such that the crease 810 normally moves upward when the sonotrode and the anvil assemblies are brought together without any assist device.
During the advancing movement, the leading adjacent pair of the pleat panels 870, 872 are pushed upward and collapsed together along the crease 810 to thereby fold the filter media sheet 812 and create a pleated segment 824 as shown in
Once the folded pleat segment is completed and optionally welded, the pleated segment 824 now formed can be overlaid upon the incipient pleated filter media pack 826 being formed until such pleated filter media pack is completed. If desired, cutting the trailing sheet may also be done ultrasonically by a knife edge tool that can be advanced and retracted on the anvil to perform a cut when the last pleat segment for the pack is completed. Alternatively, such cuts may be formed by cutting knife 74 (e.g. as in
Also, once the pleat segment 824 is completed as shown in
Additionally, the process and apparatus is conducive to cutting and seaming cut edges such as arcuate cut edges 830 as can be seen with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
In operation, and in an embodiment, the filter media sheet 812 is intermittently and successively advanced and stopped along the travel path as shown in the embodiments of
Yet as a further alternative for cutting, and referencing
As shown in
Now with a more general understanding of various processes and tooling being explained above, attention will now be had to an a more detailed embodiment of a welding and assembling apparatus 850 illustrated in
Downstream of these upstream stations, the apparatus 850 includes an ultrasonic press station 852 comprising the anvil assembly 816 and the sonotrode assembly 814. The anvil assembly 816 and the sonotrode assembly 814 are space apart along a Z-axis 801 that extends in and typically parallel with the filter media sheet 812 travel direction. In an embodiment, the Z-axis 801 is horizontal. Additionally, a Y-axis 802 and an X-axis 803 are illustrated, each of which extend perpendicular to the Z-axis, in the illustrated embodiment. The Y-axis 802 may be vertical and extend perpendicular to the X-axis 803 that extends laterally and transverse to the travel direction of the filter media sheet 812.
Arranged along the Z-axis 801 is a linear actuator that reciprocates the anvil assembly 816 (and anvil thereof) and the sonotrode assembly 814 (and sonotrode thereof) together and apart along a Z-axis 801 as is shown in progressive sequence in
For linear actuation, fluid powered actuators such as pneumatic actuators may be used with defined stops at the end of travel movement. Such pneumatic actuators can move the anvil assembly 816 and the sonotrode assembly 814 by acting directly on the anvil and/or sonotrode assemblies.
For additional control and to provide for incremental positions, servo motors can be used in linear actuators. For example, as shown in
To guide linear movement, a suitable Z-axis linear slide assembly is provided as discussed below. For support of the linear slide assembly, vertical support columns 862 are provided in horizontally spaced relation. The support columns 862 accommodate a table 864 that provides a filter media support surface (optionally and alternatively, filter media support can be a conveyer as shown in
In this fashion, the pneumatic cylinder 860 is operable to drive the sonotrode carriage 878 back and forth in the Z-Axis 801 between extended and retracted positions (e.g. see sonotrode positions shown in
As shown the same linear guide and slide shaft 866 may be used for guiding linear movement of both the sonotrode carriage 878 and the anvil carriage 874. This maintains alignment between the sonotrode 880 and the anvil 876, which is useful if aligned tooling between components is needed.
In an embodiment, ultrasonic projection tooling is carried only by the anvil 876, and the sonotrode plate 882 may comprise a flat cooperating surface that is free of sonic tooling projections. The flat surface of the sonotrode plate 882 faces the projection tooling of the anvil 876.
For example, anvil 876 comprises anvil projection tooling 884 that may comprise separate anvil tool elements 886, each of which in this instance has a welding projection rib 888 that projects outwardly from recessed flat surface of the anvil 876 toward the sonotrode plate 882. Welding projection ribs 888 are aligned coincident and in overlapping relation with opposed side edges 813 of the filter media sheet 810. As a consequence, when the sonotrode 880 and the anvil 876 are brought together with the filter media sheet 810 pinched therebetween and high frequency energy applied by high frequency sonic emitters 881, welding of the filter media sheet 812 occurs at the weld locations on opposed sides of the sheet. This welds adjacent pleat panels 870, 872 together to form the pocket pleat segments 824. Pocket pleat segments collectively are collected and constructed into the pocket pleated filter media pack.
To accommodate width sizes of regular rectangular cuboid shaped filter media packs or to change the dimension during media pack formation of irregular shaped packs of other than rectangular cuboid, the separate anvil tool elements 886 can be rearranged upon the anvil carriage 874. For example, anvil tool elements 886 are removable and can be removed and replaced with different tools if desired. In an embodiment, an X-axis linear slide assembly such as linear rail 890 is provided that carries corresponding linear slides such as dovetails of each of the anvil tool elements 886. In this fashion, the anvil tool elements 886 can be independently moved apart or together along rail 890 to different positions in the X-axis 803.
Along the rail 890, each tool element 886 may be stopped such as by being fastened by set fasteners in a desired place. Alternatively, a linear servo drive or drives may be used to position the anvil tool elements 886 in fixed positions, such as with a linear servo drives. For example, servo motors can be mounted on the rail 890, one for each tool element 886, each servo motor can rotate a screw that engages a thread formed in the dovetail of its designated anvil tool element 886. This provides various fixed position possibilities for regular shaped packs. This also provides infinite and dynamic positioning (e.g. changing tool position between consecutive pocket pleat segments) of the anvil tool elements 886, which can be used to form variable width pocket pleats and result in irregular pleated filter media pack constructions such as in
At the same time, no adjustment of the anvil tool elements 886 may be done and instead anvil tool elements 886 may be fixed along the X-axis 803 to maintain the parallel welding projection ribs 888 at a fixed spacing corresponding to the desired width of the pleated filter media pack. Such fixed positioning of anvil tool elements 886 can be used to form the rectangular pleat pack 16 with opposed edges 78, 80 such shown in
In addition to providing optional movement of the anvil 876 (e.g. such as anvil tool elements 886) in the X-axis 803, movement in the vertical Y-axis 802 can be done for purpose of moving the location of the anvil tool elements 886 and their welding locations. Additionally or alternatively, movement in the vertical Y-axis 802 can be accomplished to operate the anvil 876 as a pick member that can hold the filter media sheet to facilitate filter media sheet advancement when the anvil assembly is drive forward in the Z-axis 801.
In an embodiment and with reference to
This may be used to pick and advance the filter media sheet 812 as described above and also shown in reference to
Turning now to
It is also noted that the X-axis movement need not be parallel with the creases 810 but can be transverse, as shown schematically in the alternative embodiment of an anvil 905 in
While focus has been placed upon ultrasonic, other forms of welders may be employed to achieve thermal bonding. In theory, ultrasonics is thermal bonding by means of exciting the molecules through high frequency vibration to the point they melt. One other method of thermal bonding would be to press the media between an anvil and a heated plate. In addition “hot wedge welding” uses a concentrated heated air stream to melt areas of a medium. In all instances including ultrasonic welding and other types of welding, an anvil is provided along with a weld tool that are operably coupled with a thermal energy device (e.g. ultrasonic emitter, heating element, or heated air stream element) to provide thermal energy that facilitate the welding of weld locations such as welded pocket seams.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
Claims
1. A method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, comprising:
- pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels; and
- welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats, wherein opposed side edges of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are welded along sealed seams along opposed edges of the filter media sheet to form pleat pockets, such that flow between flow faces cannot pass unfiltered through any surrounding sides of the pleated filter media pack without passing through the filter media, the sealed seams being along the surrounding sides, wherein the welding is conducted between an anvil and a weld tool; and
- advancing the filter media sheet to the anvil and the weld tool in an unpleated state and successively folding the filter media sheet into pleats between the anvil and the weld tool to provide said pleating.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- advancing the filter media sheet along a travel path; and
- said pleating comprising creasing the filter media sheet at spaced intervals in order to form the pleat panels with a plurality of pleat tips in the pleated filter media pack by extending the creasing in a direction that extends perpendicularly to the travel path.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising after the pleating and welding, overlaying the pocket pleats upon each other to form the pleated filter media pack.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter media sheet comprises at least 10% polymer fibers by weight to facilitate welding.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polymer fibers comprise at least one of a polypropylene and polyester.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said welding comprises ultrasonically welding with an ultrasonic press that forms the pocket pleats therebetween, the ultrasonic press comprising the anvil and the weld tool which is in the form of a sonotrode, with a rib projection being provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rib projection is provided on the anvil and projects toward the sonotrode.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the rib projection is provided by a removable tool arranged on a plate of at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode, and further comprising: removing the removable tool and rearranging the removable tool or replacing the removable tool with a second removable tool, and using the rearranged removable tool or the second removable tool for forming different configurations of the filter media pack.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising linearly reciprocating the anvil and the sonotrode relative to each other together and apart to ultrasonically weld the seams.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
- carrying the anvil on a first carriage mounted on a first linear slide;
- carrying the sonotrode on a second carriage mounted on a second linear slide; and
- linearly sliding each of the anvil and sonotrode independently, together and apart along a Z axis, to facilitate the welding of the seams and releasing of the pocket pleats to allow overlaying of the pocket pleats upon each other to form the pleated filter media pack.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the linearly reciprocating is in a Z-axis, further comprising moving a location of the rib projection along at least one axis perpendicular to the Z axis during formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
12. The method of claim 6, wherein the rib projection comprises first and second parallel linear projection elements in spaced apart relation; and engaging the first and second opposed side edges of the pocket pleats with the first and second parallel linear projection elements.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: intermittently and successively advancing and stopping the filter media sheet along a travel path, wherein while the filter media sheet is stopped at least one of embossing and creasing is conducted and wherein while the filter media sheet is advancing the filter media sheet a leading portion thereof is being folded along a crease.
14. A method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, comprising:
- pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels; and
- welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats;
- wherein the pleated filter media pack comprises a plurality of upstream pleat tips at an upstream face and a plurality of downstream pleat tips at a downstream face with the pleat panels extending between the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips, each of the pleat panels extending transversely between first and second opposed side edges of the pleat panels, wherein said welding integrally bonds the first and second opposed side edges at spaced apart locations, and wherein the seams extend along the opposed side edges through a midpoint between the upstream face and the downstream face to prevent unfiltered air from passing through opposed sides of the filter media pack when fluid flow occurs between the upstream face and the downstream face; wherein the welding is conducted between an anvil and a weld tool; and
- advancing the filter media sheet to the anvil and the weld tool in an unpleated state and successively folding the filter media sheet into pleats between the anvil and the weld tool to provide said pleating.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising bonding together the adjacent pleat panels at locations between the first and second opposed side edges.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein said welding is conducted on at least one of the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips at spaced apart locations along at least one of the upstream pleat tips and the downstream pleat tips.
17. A method of forming a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, comprising:
- pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels; and
- welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats;
- advancing the filter media sheet along a travel path; and
- said pleating comprising creasing the filter media sheet at spaced intervals in order to form the pleat panels with a plurality of pleat tips in the pleated filter media pack by extending the creasing in a direction that extends perpendicularly to the travel path;
- said welding being done with a reciprocating press comprising an anvil and a weld tool, and supplying thermal energy between the anvil and the weld tool from a thermal energy device to facilitate the welding,
- folding the filter media into the pocket pleats using the anvil and the weld tool during relative reciprocating movement between the anvil and the weld tool to facilitate said pleating; and
- advancing the filter media sheet to the anvil and the weld tool in an unpleated state and successively folding the filter media sheet into pleats between the anvil and the weld tool.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising scoring the filter media sheet to form creases in the filter media sheet that are utilized by the anvil and the weld tool to facilitate said folding.
19. A method of foil ling a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, comprising:
- pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels; and
- welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats, wherein opposed side edges of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are welded along sealed seams along opposed edges of the filter media sheet to form pleat pockets, such that flow between flow faces cannot pass unfiltered through any surrounding sides of the pleated filter media pack without passing through the filter media, the sealed seams being along the surrounding sides;
- wherein said welding comprises ultrasonically welding with an ultrasonic press that forms the pocket pleats therebetween, the ultrasonic press comprising an anvil and a sonotrode, with a rib projection being provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode;
- wherein the rib projection comprises first and second parallel linear projection elements in spaced apart relation; and engaging the first and second opposed side edges of the pocket pleats with the first and second parallel linear projection elements;
- further comprising a linear slide assembly on which the first and second parallel linear projection elements are mounted, and
- adjusting a spacing between the first and second parallel linear projection elements by moving at least one of the first and second linear projections along the linear slide assembly during the formation of the pleated filter media pack to form the pleated filter media pack in an irregular shape of other than a rectangular cuboid.
20. A method of foil ling a pleated filter media pack with a filter media sheet, comprising:
- pleating the filter media sheet to provide a plurality of pleat panels; and
- welding a plurality of seams into a plurality of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels to form a plurality of pocket pleats, wherein opposed side edges of adjacent pairs of the pleat panels are welded along sealed seams along opposed edges of the filter media sheet to form pleat pockets, such that flow between flow faces cannot pass unfiltered through any surrounding sides of the pleated filter media pack without passing through the filter media, the sealed seams being along the surrounding sides;
- wherein said welding comprises ultrasonically welding with an ultrasonic press that forms the pocket pleats therebetween, the ultrasonic press comprising an anvil and a sonotrode, with a rib projection being provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode; and
- further comprising a knife projection provided along at least one of the anvil and the sonotrode, the knife projection being thinner than the rib projection; and cutting through the adjacent pairs of pleat panels with the knife projection.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: wherein the knife projection is proximate at least a portion of the rib projection, wherein the knife projection cuts at least one seam that is ultrasonically welded simultaneously by the rib projection.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 15, 2019
Date of Patent: Mar 22, 2022
Patent Publication Number: 20190366252
Assignee: Parker-Hamilton Corporation (Cleveland, OH)
Inventors: Jason LaMarr Tate (Thompsons Station, TN), Farrell F. Calcaterra (Kearney, NE), Thomas B Green (College Grove, TN), Charles R. Wick (Pleasanton, NE)
Primary Examiner: Michael N Orlando
Assistant Examiner: Christopher W Raimund
Application Number: 16/541,921
International Classification: B01D 46/00 (20060101); B01D 46/52 (20060101); B01D 39/16 (20060101);
